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E32-200 Running Rigging

mjn

Member I
Is there a complete list of running rigging lines and some clear diagrams identifying them?
I'm having trouble identifying the names of the lines entering the mast. One is especially worn entering the mast through the topmost hole (correct term?) on the starboard side.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Is there a complete list of running rigging lines and some clear diagrams identifying them?
I'm having trouble identifying the names of the lines entering the mast. One is especially worn entering the mast through the topmost hole (correct term?) on the starboard side.

I wonder if you are describing the exit for the main halyard, which gets used every time the boat is sailed? Our '88 Kenyon spar has tall rectangular "slots" sawed out for all halyard exits and each was covered with a chafe-reducing nylon fitting pressed into the slot. One of those fittings failed where the friction part holds it in place and I glued the perimeter of the piece in so it could still do its duty and protect the halyard.

Rig Rite used to carry the black cast nylon replacements, but I see that those have disappeared from their site.
https://www.rigrite.com/Spars/Kenyon_Spars/Kenyon_Parts/K_exit_plates.php
 

mjn

Member I
There is an owner's manual for the E-32-3 here:

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/vbdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=103

It's not exactly the same as the -200, but close enough for the rigging.

Thanks Tom.
We never use the spinnaker (which feels like a sin) and the line I'm most concerned about is related to the spinnaker. It runs from the cockpit through a clutch, the deck mounted blocks, another block and the mast base, up inside the mast, and returns outside the fore side of the mast terminating with a shackle. The line is entirely rope so I'm thinking it is the one of the two halyards identified as SPIN run aft at 52'+46' of 3/8" line.
Can you confirm this?
 
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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
FWIW, on that size boat and rig, I would want 5/16" low stretch line for all halyards. That's what we have.
The original halyards were probably wire with about 1/2" line tails, but those should have been replaced long ago.
 

mjn

Member I
So since the previous owner is using a rope for the spinnaker halyard I'm guessing/hoping he swapped out the sheave in the masthead. We are also about due for a main halyard with the current one being rope+wire so maybe it's time to swap out the sheave for the main halyard and go to an all rope halyard.

It sure would be nice to have some documentation on the masthead assembly so I can buy the sheaves + parts and only climb the mast once. Anyone know where this can be found?
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
So since the previous owner is using a rope for the spinnaker halyard I'm guessing/hoping he swapped out the sheave in the masthead. We are also about due for a main halyard with the current one being rope+wire so maybe it's time to swap out the sheave for the main halyard and go to an all rope halyard. [snip]

While I'm not a rigging expert, I've been running rope halyards through the sheaves made for wire on my '87 E-34 for many years and not had a problem. The rope halyards have lasted much longer than the original wire-rope halyards. The one all rope halyard I've had to replace was for the main because of chafe at the mast exit after 15-20 years.
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
"in general", the basic 32 rig has 4 masthead halyards - main halyard on the aft side of the mast, and three (port/spinnaker, centerline/jib and starboard/spinnaker) on the forward side of the masthead.

The jib halyard and port spinnaker halyard usually come out of exits on the port side of the mast; the main halyard and starboard spinnaker halyard usually come out of exits on the starboard side of the mast. In both cases, the spinnaker halyard will come out of the uppermost exit slot.

On my 32-III, the arrangement looks like this... the exits are staggered, with the lowest (main halyard) about 30" above the gooseneck on the starboard side, then next up (jib halyard) 12" above that on the port side, starboard spinnaker halyard 12" above that on starboard side, and port spinnaker halyard 12" above that on the port side.

halyard exits.jpg

If your 32-200 was rigged for a spinnaker pole, there will be a 5th line (the "pole lift") somewhere in the mix. You can tell which one that is because it does *not* go all the way to the masthead - it comes out of the front part of the mast about 2/3rds of the way up. I don't know where it will exit the mast at the bottom - KennethK may be able to help with that.

As for the rest, yes, I'm a big fan of 5/16" low-stretch lines for the halyards. I use 5/16" "VPC" from New England Ropes, a little spendy but I love it, and it can be found on sale several times a year (and/or West Marine's price match is cool). I use all-rope for all 4 halyards.

$.02
Bruce
 

mjn

Member I
Fantastic. This confirms things.
While there is a mast port for the port side Spinnaker halyard, there is no line there.

So we are replacing the starboard side Spinnaker Halyard. The one we are replacing is a 3/8" all rope line. I'm guessing the previous owner did not replace the masthead sheave for this Halyard. Is this a problem if we go with another 3/8" line?

I'm fairly certain if we go with a 5/16" line, the line clutch on the deck will not hold. So instead of reducing the rope diameter I'm thinking of just keeping it the same provided the sheave won't prematurely wear on the Halyard.
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
I'm guessing the previous owner did not replace the masthead sheave for this Halyard. Is this a problem if we go with another 3/8" line?

Generally speaking, no problem. I'd recommend two things

-- when you go aloft next, check the sheave for any burrs or sharp edges around the groove for the wire. Those kinds of things have more potential for damaging the halyard than the shape of the sheave. And,

-- for the new halyard, pick one with a relatively firm cover. A super-soft line will wear more because the load will force a narrow part of the cover into the groove, which can prematurely wear the snapshackle end of the halyard. Keep an eye on it - with modern lines and the loads on our boat, it's likely to be a non-issue, but if it is an issue it will show up as cover-wear in the few inches of halyard that are across the top of the sheave when under load.

I'm fairly certain if we go with a 5/16" line, the line clutch on the deck will not hold.

Most clutches can accommodate - or be adjusted or converted to work across - a range of line sizes. For example, Spinlock XAS clutch comes in two models - one for 3/16" to 5/16" line, one for 1/4" to 1/2" line. Either model will work for 5/16" line. But they can also be converted from one model to the other by installing a kit with a different set of "jaws".

If you have the EasyLock-I clutches that many of our 32's came with... they should be fine for anything between 1/4" and 3/8"

https://www.rigrite.com/Hardware/Rope_Clutches/Easylock_Stoppers.php

(Note, though, that "fine" in Bruce's Opinion means "fine for sailing". I don't, as a general principle, trust ANY clutch for life-safety uses, e.g., securing a person at the top of the mast)

$.02
Bruce
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
If your 32-200 was rigged for a spinnaker pole, there will be a 5th line (the "pole lift") somewhere in the mix. You can tell which one that is because it does *not* go all the way to the masthead - it comes out of the front part of the mast about 2/3rds of the way up. I don't know where it will exit the mast at the bottom - KennethK may be able to help with that.

Bruce

On Mariah, the fifth mast exit plate is to port, and looks to be the highest of all the exit plates. As such, I use this (the highest) for the port spin halyard, the middle for the pole lift, and the lowest for the jib halyard.

But this setup is one Bruce already helped me with. When I got the boat, the main halyard exited from the top exit plate (stbd). So I moved it to the lower exit plate. I've also taken closer note of the rope alignment from exit plate to the turning block (at the mast base). If not lined up properly, the rope chafes against the fore or aft edge of the exit plate (esp for rope 1/2"+ in dia.).

Lastly, if you have wire-rope halyards, you'll have aluminum sheaves in the deck organizers, too. Both of my deck organizers showed metal-to-metal wear (through about 90-120 degrees of the sheave area) on the lower plate of the organizer. I bought a new 2x2 stacked organizer for stbd and also replaced the aluminum sheave. The new alum sheave came with two Mylar washers which the original did not have. To port, I stacked the old 2 sheave organizer (that was on the stbd side) on top of the existing 3x organizer, after replacing all the nylon sheaves (and, swithced to an all-rope jib halyard).
 
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